Sicyopterus macrostetholepis Goby

Details -

Natural Range: Philippines, Indonesia, Ryukyu Islands

Source: Harvested from Nature

Estimated Size at Shipping: 2 - 3", give or take a bit

Max Size: 3.5-4"

Offering Sexed Fish / Pairs: Sold Unsexed

Overview: Containing a "Cockatoo" crest on the dorsal fin, males are fun to watch as they raise their "feathers" to signal conspecifics. They also have an orange and/or yellow tail fin outlined in dark brown and white.

Gobies of the genus Sicyopterus are outgoing, personable fish that have adapted to a specialized amphidromous lifestyle. Adults live and spawn in freshwater streams which flow to the ocean. The tiny newly hatched larvae are too underdeveloped to be called fry at this stage. These larvae flow downstream to the ocean where they settle into the plankton cloud and feed on microscopic marine organisms. After they have grown and developed enough, the young fish then leave the ocean and continue upstream to their freshwater origins. In order to complete their journey home, the young fish must overcome torrential water currents. Often, they even have to climb waterfalls. Their specially developed pelvic fins form suction cups which, when used in conjunction with their gripping mouths, help them make it through these obstacles. With these adaptations, they are able to make it home and take advantage of pristine rocky stream environments that other fish species simply cannot reach.

Setup Considerations: These gobies appreciate nooks, crannies, caves, and other little holes they can claim as their home territory. Also, while not strictly necessary for them to thrive, they do enjoy digging and burying themselves in fine sand substrates. They are not destructive diggers and do well in planted tanks, but they do like to bury themselves horizontally until only their tail and head are visible above the sand.

Specific Care Requirements: They are quite easy to keep in aquariums if one remembers that these fish come from pristine, oxygen rich stream environments. As long as the aquarium is well maintained and oxygen levels are maintained through filtration and flow, these fish generally thrive. It is inadvisable to keep them in newly established tanks as the risk of an ammonia or nitrite spike is just too high. A mature, well seasoned aquarium is the ideal home for this group of fish. Here at Dan's Fish, we keep them in aquariums with simple sponge and box filters and they do well, but they will also do well in hillstream setups with strong current.

Diet: Omnivore. A great algae eater, these are specialized benthic feeders which scrape biofilm, algae, and other small organisms from rocks. In the aquarium, they readily graze on algae wafers, large sinking pellets, Repashy, and other stable foods that don't rapidly dissolve in the water column. Like Loricariad catfish, these gobies scrape their food and ingest it a little at a time, so they need a lot of time with the food and are easily outcompeted by rapid swimmers and aggressive eaters. A mature aquarium with lots of biofilm and algae buildup helps keep them fat and sassy by providing grazing between meals.

Location: Wyoming, United States

Shipping: Please review checkout for final shipping options based on items selected, quantity, and groupings. Heat or cold packs will be included as needed at no extra cost.

• UPS Next Day Giant: Fits 30 for $69.99
• UPS Next Day Large: Fits 20 for $49.99
• UPS Next Day Small: Fits 5 for $39.99
• UPS Next Day Medium: Fits 9 for $45.99

Find details about our shipping process in our FAQ. For example, we ship most orders on the following Monday or Wednesday.